Inside Art with Michael Rose - Special Exhibition Celebrates Fiber in Bristol

Inside Art with Michael Rose - Special Exhibition Celebrates Fiber in Bristol

 

Some art forms are more integrated into daily life than others. While not everyone has an original painting in their home, all households interact with fiber arts in one way or another. In a compelling exhibition on view at the Bristol Art Museum through September 9, more than 30 local fiber artists are featured, and the results will give viewers a new appreciation for fiber, textile, and craft.

GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST

 

Spread across the Bristol Art Museum’s galleries, Tension: New Directions in Fiber Art includes contemporary artworks as well as archival pieces. Works that employ a variety of techniques are given equal footing. The collection was organized by guest curator Allison Wilbur, who created a show that celebrates color, texture, form, and technique. A talented and acclaimed textile artist, Wilbur’s quilts have been exhibited widely. She also has work on view in the exhibition at BAM, and in her role as guest curator assembled an exhibition that gives both experienced fiber enthusiasts and new viewers an opportunity to explore the medium in depth.

 

 

Speaking of her involvement in the exhibition, Wilbur says, “Over the decades, I have transitioned from being a traditional quilter to an art quilter. So often when someone discovers I am an artist and I mention the word “quilt” it sparks an emotional connection, often to a family member who was a quilter, knitter, or weaver. In curating this exhibit, I saw an opportunity to build a bridge between rich textile traditions and the vibrant, innovative work of contemporary Rhode Island artists working in fiber. We build on the techniques and materials of the past, but our voices are fresh, challenging and thought provoking.”

 

 

The show is indeed deep, rich, and provocative. Among the dozens of works on view, visitors to the museum will find pieces by some of the state’s most accomplished fiber artists. Among them is RISCA grantee and longtime local exhibitor Saberah Malik, who is showing works of her own creation as well as archival artworks from her collection.

 

Asked about her participation in the exhibition, Malik says, "I am grateful for the opportunity of making my memories, artifacts and current work a part of Rhode Island heritage, and to witness an amalgamation of an immigrant into its creative societal core. The breadth, depth, and diversity of medium, substance, and styles within this compelling collection of textiles-related memories, artifacts, and artwork,  created a welcoming niche for contemporaneity in referencing my heritage, as evidenced by the paired artifacts. This show is also significant for me as it is the first exhibit of new work supported by a General Operating Support for Artists grant from RISCA"

 

 

In addition to Malik, many other prominent artists have artworks on view in the exhibition. Among them is Deborah Baronas, whose silk, cotton, and linen piece titled “Beyond Stereotype” explores the opioid epidemic and substance use in diaphanous and multilayered figural panels. A RISD alumna, Baronas previously exhibited this work in a special show at the Fuller Craft Museum.

 

Where Baronas’ work hinges on large-scale fields of color, other pieces in the exhibition are full of fine details. Artworks on view by Pawtucket-based artist Anastasia Azure are examples of the great intricacies that one can find in fiber artworks. Azure trained as a jewelry artist, but has turned her practice to creating sculptural works from hand-dyed nylon. Her three-dimensional works are brightly toned but are also full of geometric complexity.

 

 

There is no shortage of favorites in the exhibition. Works by Mo Kelman show off technical exactitude and finesse. Nearby, Dawn Spears is exhibiting traditional corn husk dolls and baskets, and artist Hayley Perry is sharing richly textured wool fabric sculptures. Kate Barber’s meditative artwork titled “Litany” makes polyester, linen, and cotton bulge and sway.

 

In the museum’s Brick Gallery, quilt artists affiliated with Rhode Island Threads are exhibiting their creations as part of BAM’s feature on fiber. The pieces in this space are full of personal touches and show off the narrative warmth that comes from handcrafted quilts.

 

 

Fiber is a central player in visual culture and BAM’s exhibition, curated by Wilbur, is a must-see for audiences interested in how artists are utilizing the medium today. With so many objects by scores of talented artists, the exhibition promises to inspire and educate visitors. It also centers the voices of gifted artists working to weave threads into incisive and interesting works of contemporary art.

 

Tensions: New Directions in Fiber Art is on view at the Bristol Art Museum through September 9. Located in the heart of Bristol at 10 Wardell Street, the museum is open to the public from Thursdays through Sundays from 1-4 pm. For more information, visit www.bristolartmuseum.org.